Field notes, observations and assorted 909-sense from the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin columnist

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Diners were touched by the Cactus Patch

Sunday’s column rounds up comments about the end of the line for Ramon’s Cactus Patch in Ontario, which closed after 75 years. Many people ate there for decades. My favorite is the woman talking about her parents’ first taste of Mexican food!

Your recent articles about the Cactus Patch really make me sorry to have missed it! Do you ever wonder what restaurants that are opening now will last that long and be remembered as fondly 75 years from now? I don’t think it will be one of the chains – they just don’t seem to inspire that kind of loyalty.

davidallen909

Chains do inspire loyalty, which is part of their success, but I think it’s misplaced loyalty!

But, yes, you never know what will catch on, and what will last. Multigenerational businesses of any stripe are really tough to pull off, children or grandchildren usually having different priorities than parents or grandparents. Every now and then, though, you get a Vince’s or a Wolfe’s Market that seems ageless.

DebB

I recently designed a booklet for a client who is a financial planner, and one of his premises in the booklet is that large family fortunes are very often completely lost within 3 generations. The parents build the fortune through their business, but as the generations come along, they don’t appreciate the hard work and sacrifice, and end up wasting the “empire” their parent/grandparent built. It takes a special family to keep the vision and the business going.

About this blog

A roundup of news, history, food, travel and cultural items from around the Inland Valley.

About this blogger

A journalist for nearly 30 years, David Allen has been chronicling the Inland Valley for the Daily Bulletin since 1997 and blogging since 2007. His first book, "Pomona A to Z," was published in 2014.
E-mail David here. Read recent columns here.